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6 days to go: Conservatives unveil Teachers' Charter

Posted on 29 April 2005

Conservatives have unveiled plans to restore discipline to schools and put teachers back in charge of classrooms. Under the party's "Teachers' Charter", heads will get the final say on whether to expel disruptive pupils, and can insist that parents play a bigger part in instilling discipline as a condition for their children securing admission to a school.

Launching the policy initiative just a week before voters go to the polls on May 5th, Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins said: "Putting teachers back in charge of our classrooms is a top priority for the next Conservative government. Mr Blair has had eight years to tackle the rising tide of indiscipline in our schools but he's ducked it."

He said that instead of getting a grip on growing indiscipline and truancy, Labour had presided over a crisis situation in which a teacher is attacked every seven minutes, when over a million children bunked off from lessons every year, when more than 17,000 pupils were expelled for violence in just one term, and when appeals panels overrule head teachers in one in five cases - forcing them to readmit pupils they have expelled.

Mr Collins told conservatives.com: "Our Teachers' Charter is a charter for change that will improve school life for all - parents, teachers and children. All parties agree that our schools need and should receive more money. But it seems that only the Conservatives understand that unless there is discipline in the classroom, nothing will ever improve."

Under the scheme, appeals panels will be scrapped and head teachers will get the final say over exclusions - backed by the unqualified right to insist on parental agreement to discipline their children as part of the conditions of entry to a school. Labour's plans to force all state schools to take their share of undisciplined pupils will be scrapped, while schools will get the funds and financial freedom to introduce random drug- testing, CCTV and metal detectors. Teachers will also benefit from greater legal protection so that they can enforce discipline without fear of having their lives ruined if a child alleges abuse.

The Charter will ensure that teachers have backing to enforce discipline in school, will be protected from abuse at work, will run their classroom without interference from politicians and bureaucrats, and will have official backing to enforce discipline among pupils.